New Yorker Chris Bodor decided to spend his commuting time writing, "through every sunset and every upset." His train rides turned into his own personal writing workshop and in the course of three years he's picked out the best stuff to go into Railroad Ties. Bodor's thoughts are often on everyday things ? his family, the train, coffee, love. But Bodor's uncomplicated approach makes these thoughts as cool and refreshing as ice water. In "Happy Poems," he says: "A happy poem is like a head cold,/I count the minutes/until they both go away." From these daily 160-minute travels, Bodor has birthed a solid and engaging collection.